Alabama River Cutoff to Port Mobile and Eastern Shore Marina

November 8, 2010, Alabama River Cutoff to Eastern Shore Marina, Mobile Bay, Alabama. Today we will make a run of 66 miles from the anchorage at the Alabama River Cutoff to the Eastern Shore Marina at Fairhope, Alabama. To make this trip, we will travel the Mobile River through Port Mobile and then cross Mobile Bay to Fairhope. We have been on the rivers for 6 days without marinas or any towns, Nancy is looking forward to seeing civilization again. Today will be a little more intresting than some of the past days. We start out with fog, which has become the normal morning event, but as we travel down stream, I see a trash dumpster that has come to rest along side the river in the brush after a flood of high water. I can only imagine what it would be like to hit that with your boat. Later in the morning we come upon a jon boat running in circles after loosing its driver. The man had fallen out, knocked the tiller to the far side causing the boat to run in circles. He managed to get ashore. When boats traveling the river came upon the boat they were unsure if the man was still in the water. Coast Guard was called and later the man was spotted in the woods in his camophlauge outfit. All ended ok, last we heard, the man was bailing out his boat. Industry continues on the river so hopefully the economy is improving. We heard chatter on the VHF that another boater was lost, he had entered Port Mobile and could not find his way through to the Mobile Bay. Another boater responded to his call and asked where he was and he responded "I'm in the Gulf" and he was actually only in Mobile Bay. Tells you how important your navigation charts are. We entered Port Mobile and it was busy with much loading and unloading and ships being positioned to go out the Mobile Bay Ship Canal to the Gulf of Mexico. We made our way through the port and across Mobile Bay to Eastern Shore Marina at Fairhope, Alabama and docked. We will stay a couple of days before moving to the Gulf Intercoastal Waterway.